The End Is Where We Begin (Previously titled 'Lost in Paradise')
by MysteriousSherlock
Summary: "We were all someone before we were chosen." Immortal life begins at mortal death - but some immortals have been around for so long their stories have been forgotten by the mortal world. The Guardians, the Man in the Moon and his family, are some of them. This is their story: through the Dark Ages, Pitch's conquest of the world, and his desire to destroy all that the Man holds dear
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own ROTG, it rightfully belongs to DreamWorks ect. I only own the plot, and the places/characters/objects _I_ have created.**

**First things first - I'd like to point out that none of the characters in this story are based on real people.**

**I'd also like to point out that, since I am doing my A levels, updates will not be as regular as I'd like.**

**I should probably also point out that I have never read the Guardians of Childhood books - I have only seen the ROTG movie. This story is my own take on the history of the world and how the Guardians came to be, though I should also point out that throughout the story I will be focusing on the OC Nocturne.**

**This story is set in the same universe as my story _'Friend or Foe'_ \- Nocturne, Daniel, Sam ect are OCs in said story - but you don't need to have read FoF to understand or enjoy this story. Whether or not you read FoF is up to you - it mentions aspects of this story, so you may find it a bit spoilery, but it shouldn't be _too_ bad, since it doesn't focus around the main characters of this story.**

**For those of you who _have_ read FoF, this story tells the story of how Nocturne and Daniel grew up (starting from 9 years old), how they were involved with the Guardians (who at this point are still mortal), how Pitch originally rose to power and was eventually defeated ect ect.**

**This story is named after a song that I think illustrates the transition from mortality to immortality (another thing that'll play a key role in this story)... The song is _'The End Is Where We Begin'_ (surprise, surprise) by _Thousand Foot Krutch_, and a link to it can be found either on my profile or at the bottom of this page. (Just so you know, this story was originally titled _'Lost in Paradise'_)**

**This first chapter is a prologue - it's basically setting the scene for the story by giving you some knowledge of events prior to the story. The actual story will start in the second chapter - in which the main characters will be introduced.**

* * *

Chapter 1 - Prologue

No one's POV

The _Golden Age_.

A thousand years of happiness in our world. A thousand years of wonder and magic, of love and generosity, of good things.

A time of peace and prosperity, a time when evil always lost and was vanquished, a time when everyone was happy.

It began in the year we know now as 11,000 BCE, when the great king Jerod of the city Rowan secured a peaceful alliance between all the kingdoms of the land. It remained for a long time after he, and all the other kings of his time, were gone.

But it could not last forever.

We, the people of the world, should have seen it coming. We should have seen, in those last two hundred years, that things were falling apart. But we were blind - blind to the things happening around us, believing the hardships to be a passing season that would soon be over.

But we were wrong. Things were collapsing around us - corrupt rulers were placed on the kingdoms' thrones, dangerous criminals roamed the lands, and people became less kind. Food and money became an issue for many, and many began to be afraid of the world. Yet we turned a blind eye, and pretended not to know what was happening.

But the Earth was not so blind. And so the Earth took action.

One-hundred-and-fifty years before the end, it created a man of great power. An unseen man, a man with no name, a man who would live forever. A man who lived among the stars and watched over the world, and would one day choose people to become immortal, like him, to protect the world from evil.

But this day did not come to pass during the _Golden Age_, and it did not come to pass until many years after it ended, for this man, who became known as the Man in the Moon, did not understand his own power. And so, the people did not know he was there, watching over them. And their fear of the world grew.

From this fear, another man was formed. It was nine years before the end of the _Golden Age_, and the creation of this man sealed the fate of the _Golden Age_ \- his creation ensured its end, and ensured that the world could never be the same again.

This man, if you could call him a man, would be known by many names. But his true name, the name he has had since his first day on this world, is one that everyone has heard - whether they know of him, or whether they are simply describing a darkness around them.

_Pitch Black._

He ended the _Golden Age_, and brought about the _Dark Ages_ \- a period of time in which the world lived in fear of him. Any mortal who stood against him was killed - it seemed that no one could stop him. Even the Man in the Moon could not beat him in a fight - when he tried, he barely escaped with his life.

It would take heroes, warriors of great power, to take Pitch down.

And this world had none.

* * *

**I know this is short - sorry about that - but the future chapters will be a lot longer. In FoF, I tend to average at about 3000 words per chapter (though it does vary a little - it has been as low as 1000 and as high as 9000), so hopefully this will be similar.**

**Please review and tell me what you think so far - also, as a matter of curiosity, please could you tell me if you've read FoF, are planning on reading it, or are not planning on reading it at all.**

**Here is the link to _'The End Is Where We Begin'_ by _Thousand Foot Krutch_. Type the YouTube address into the address bar, then copy and paste the following after it.**

**_'The End Is Where We Begin'_**** by _Thousand Foot Krutch_:  
****/watch?v=j3NGSKXs7kg**

**Till next time!**

**_MS_**


	2. Problems

**Disclaimer: I do not own ROTG, it rightfully belongs to DreamWorks ect. I only own the plot, locations I have created, and the OCs.**

**So, here's the first chapter - you get to meet the main characters, and you are introduced to the world situation... It may be a bit confusing at first, but I promise that as the story goes on, things will be explained.**

**Thank you to _FantasyInfinity_ for following the story :)**

**On with the story...**

* * *

_PART ONE - THE GOLDEN AGE_

* * *

Chapter 2 - Problems

Sam's POV

THE YEAR 10,000 BCE

The man eyed the shirt with a raised eyebrow. "You're telling me that this shirt costs only three _Argentum_? They weren't kidding when they said you were cheap - you can't make much profit out of this." He looked at me suspiciously. "Where's the catch?"

"No catch," I told him, truthfully. "Only a need to feed my children."

"If you need to feed your children, then why not charge more?"

"Because people can't _afford_ more. These are difficult times - people don't have a lot of money. If people can't afford what I sell, they won't buy it - and I'll be the worst off in the end."

"Really." The man looked at the shirt, doubtfully. "How do I know this isn't just a cheap job? That you're actually charging a lot for a little?"

I tried to keep my patience. "I am an honest man - I do not do _'cheap jobs'_, as you put it. Even if I did - I wouldn't get much out of it from what I charge."

He nodded, satisfied. "Very well then - I'll take this one." He paused, looking at a folded pile in the corner. "What are those?"

"Costumes," I replied, "for children. You know how they like to play pretend - there are costumes there for pretending to be kings, queens, sorcerers, sorceresses... You name it. They were once popular, but now... people only buy what they deem to be needed, or necessary, and costumes just aren't seen that way."

"Quite a clever idea," the man commented. "I can see why they would have been popular. It's a shame - if I had more money myself, I would buy one for my little girl."

"There's the problem," I sighed, sadly. "No-one has enough money."

I carefully folded the shirt and wrapped it in brown paper. The man handed me the money, and I handed him the package.

"Thanks," he said as he turned to leave. He then muttered an apology to someone, as he bumped into them.

I looked up to see who it was, and whether they were entering the shop. They were, and I almost smiled - but then I realized who it was. I groaned inwardly.

The woman was of a large build - though she was thinner than she had once been, due to the lack of food - she was short, and very forceful in her movements. She had greeting hair that was tied back in a braid, beady black eyes, and a frown that was permanently fixed on her features.

"Mrs Donneley. I don't suppose you're here to buy a dress?" I sighed.

"_Samuel Hainin_." She slammed both her palms down on the counter with a loud _bang_.

"Yes Mrs Donneley?"

"Don't you _'yes Mrs Donneley' _me! You know _precisely_ why I'm here!" Her face was starting to turn a bright shade of red.

"Well, if it's for the same reason as the last few visits, then you can leave now and save your time - my answer is still the same. You're not having them."

"Those children need a mother! Someone who knows what they're doing!"

"Given that I've looked after them perfectly well for the past nine years, I somehow think I know what I'm doing."

"Oh, _really_? Those children are just as bad as you are - with strange ideas and strange ways of acting. Take that girl for instance - half the time she's wearing _trousers_ \- as though she were a boy!"

"Trousers are much easier to move around in than skirts," I told her. "Nocturne is quite capable of choosing for herself what she wears."

"And _that's_ exactly what I'm talking about!" Mrs Donneley was gesticulating madly. "Strange ideas! You think it's a good idea for girls to wear trousers - and it rubs off on those _poor_ children!"

"I merely feel that it is practical for a person to wear suitable clothing for what they plan to do," I corrected. "Now, as usual, my answer is no, so please could you leave."

"I don't see why you're so desperate to keep them." Mrs Donneley ignored me. "It's not as though they're _yours_. You're not even related to them."

"I love them as though they _are_ mine," I countered, "and for the record, Elainor was like a sister to me, so they _are_ family, as far as I'm concerned."

"Oh, don't get me _started_ on Elainor! Having a relationship of that kind, with a stranger who promptly left her... I don't know _what_ the girl was thinking. Well, she got her comeuppance in the end."

I have her a sharp look. "Don't speak of Elainor in that way!"

"Well, she did deserve it! Relationships like that should be had _within_ _marriage_ \- she had hers outside of marriage, and so it killed her."

"Mrs Donneley," I said, curtly, "please could you leave, _right now_, before I do something that we'll _both_ regret."

"No need to get rude with me - I'm only stating the truth."

"Believe me, Mrs Donneley, you have no inkling of what the truth is."

"Well, maybe, but I do know one thing. You're short on money, aren't you? How much longer will you be able to feed the children? The children must surely be beginning to go hungry by now."

"We all are," I admitted. "But is that any different for you?"

"Well, I have more money than you must earn."

"But not enough to be any better off in this situation than I am," I concluded. "Look, I understand that you have the children's best interests at heart, but they are fine. As for the money problems, I'll figure something out."

"Well, you'd better," Mrs Donneley huffed in annoyance. "If you don't, then you'll all starve to death."

"I'm not _that_ short of money," I muttered.

"I take it you haven't heard that Mr Garton has upped his prices again."

"He's done what?"

"He's upped his prices. Well, I'll be back tomorrow, once you've seen for yourself and had a chance to change your mind." She turned to leave. "Till tomorrow!"

I stared after her as she left. Once she was out of sight of the window, I slumped onto the chair behind the counter and stared blankly into the empty space before me. If what she said was true, if Mr Garton really _had_ upped the prices on the food he sold... Did I have enough money to feed the children?

"Sam? Sam what's wrong?"

I turned to see Nocturne in the doorway to upstairs with a worried expression.

Nocturne was a pretty girl of nine years of age. She had straight, shoulder-length, black hair, wide, innocent eyes that were as black as the night sky, and pale skin. She was very thin - in the sense of not getting enough to eat, though she was naturally thin anyway.

"I..." How could I tell her? How could I tell her that things may have got to the stage where I had only two options - to give her and her brother away to a woman they hated, or to watch them starve to death?

Thankfully, at that moment, a customer arrived, and I didn't have to answer. After a while of waiting, Nocturne retreated back up the stairs, closing the door behind her.

* * *

After the shop closed, I emptied the till into a money pouch, put on my coat - a long, warm, black coat - then left to buy some food, locking the door behind me.

The second I stepped out the door, I was hit by the wind, which was even stronger than usual. I turned into it, which caused my coat to billow out behind me, and my black hair to be forced back out of my face. I had a feeling that once I got out of the wind, it would be even more of a mess than usual.

I struggled against the wind, head bowed, ignoring the people around me hurrying in the opposite direction. I could see ahead of me, on the left hand side of the street, was my destination - _'Garton's Grocery'_.

I stepped through the door and asked myself, not for the first time, if Mr Garton could have come up with a more creative name for the shop.

"Ah, Mr Hainin," Mr Garton greeted with a false smile, "fancy meeting you here."

"Well this _is_ the only grocery shop in town, as you love to point out at every opportunity," I answered, not in the mood for our usual arguments.

"Just stating the facts. So, what'll it be today?"

"One loaf of bread, a pint of milk, and a piece of whatever meat you have today."

"That'll be one _Aurum_, two _Argentum_."

I frowned. It seemed that Mrs Donneley had been right. "Surely it should only be six _Argentum_? You've doubled the price!"

"No, everything's just increased in price by two _Argentum_."

"That's ridiculous! You can't charge that much!"

"Well, you're welcome to buy food elsewhere if you don't like it." He grinned smugly, knowing full well that there was nowhere else to go.

"Look," I said, calmly, keeping my temper in check. "I can't _afford_ these kind of prices - I only have nine _Argentum_! I have two children, and they need food - I don't get enough money out of the tailor shop to feed them as it is, you upping the prices doesn't help. _Please_."

"There's nothing I can do." Mr Garton gave me a mockingly sympathetic smile. "It's not my fault you're poor, and the prices are the prices."

Arguing was getting me nowhere, I realized. There was nothing I could do but give the man what he wanted.

"All right," I sighed, "how much would it be for just the bread and the meat?"

"Nine _Argentum_ exactly."

Reluctantly I handed over the money, and he gave me the food.

"There," he smiled triumphantly, "that wasn't so difficult, was it?"

I ignored him, storming out the door. I hated people like him - people who abused power, forcing others to suffer just so that they could feel good about themselves. Mr Garton had power over the whole village of Folshire, being our only source of food, and he used that to his advantage, charging ridiculous prices so that he'd get more profit, all the while forcing the rest of us to starve.

I unlocked the door to the tailor shop, closed it and locked it behind me. I then took the food upstairs to the kitchen. Nocturne and Daniel were there, waiting anxiously.

Daniel was very much like his sister in physical appearance - he too had hair blacker than the night sky, and he had a very similar build, but there was one noticeable difference - he had inherited their father's silver eyes.

"Sam, why does Mrs Donneley keep coming to the shop when she doesn't buy anything?" Nocturne asked.

"She doesn't think I'm capable of looking after you two," I told them. Not a lie - but not the full truth either.

"She doesn't want to take us away, does she?" Daniel asked.

I frowned. As far as I was aware, I had never mentioned that to them. "What gave you that idea?"

"I overheard some of what you were saying today," Nocturne confessed, blushing with guilt.

I sighed. "Yes, she wants to take you away."

"I don't like her - she scares me," Nocturne muttered.

"You won't let her take us away, will you?" Daniel asked.

"Not as long as I have any say in it," I answered. To be honest, I wasn't sure - I could never watch them starve, and if sending them away was the only way to save them... Could I do it?

Thankfully, my words were all the reassurance the pair needed. As we worked together to prepare and cook our dinner, they didn't mention the subject at all.

I served the food into three plates, while the two siblings laid the table. While they weren't looking, I put a little extra on their plates, in the hope of making sure they didn't go _too_ hungry.

I placed the plates on the table, and we sat down. Daniel and I picked up our knives and forks, about to tuck in, but Nocturne did not.

She was frowning at the plates, looking between them. She then looked to her brother, who then did the same.

"Sam," she said, "there's more on our plates than on yours."

I mentally cursed - I had been hoping they wouldn't notice.

I smiled and feigned surprise. "Really? Never mind, it won't matter just this once."

"But you don't get enough food as it is," Daniel pointed out. "You need the food - you're bigger than we are."

"And you're young, you're growing - you need it just as much as I do, if not more," I countered.

"You did it on purpose," Nocturne realized.

I gave up my pretence. "Yes, I gave you two more than me, and yes, I did it deliberately."

Daniel frowned. "Why? There isn't enough food for us as it is - we should all eat the same."

"It's getting harder to buy the food we need - if things keep going the way they are, you'll be more than just a little hungry. You'll starve - and I can't watch that happen. You're my children - maybe not by blood, but that doesn't matter - it's my job as your father to look after you, to put you first."

Even so, they still insisted on shifting the food between the plates so that we all had the same amount. We are in silence, cleared up, and then went to bed.

* * *

_ "Sam?" Elainor tentatively knocked on the door._

_ I frowned. She sounded nervous, which couldn't be good - Elainor was always very bold and confident._

_ "El?" I replied. "Is everything all right?"_

_ "Can I talk to you?"_

_ "Of course. Come in."_

_ Elainor entered the bedroom and sat down on the bed._

_ "Are you okay?" I asked her._

_ She nodded. "Just a bit... nervous, I guess."_

_ "Nervous about what?"_

_ "What I'm about to say... I... Promise not to tell Mum or Dad what I'm about to tell you? I know they'll have to know sometime soon, but I'd like to tell them myself..."_

_ "Tell them _what_?" I was confused, and worried - I had known Elainor since her parents took me in when I was ten, after my parents died. Elainor was like a sister to me - I knew her almost as well as I knew myself. It wasn't like her to beat around the bush like this._

_ "Well, as you know, Manny and I have been closer than ever over the past few months, and, well..." She swallowed. "Oh, Sam, I... I... I think I'm pregnant!"_

_ I blinked. "Pregnant."_

_ "Well... I think so..."_

_ "With the child of the Man in the Moon."_

_ "Yes - who else's _would_ it be?"_

_ "I just... I had no idea how serious your relationship had got. You do realize what people are going to think - having that kind of relationship outside of marriage..."_

_ "It's frowned upon, I know. But how exactly am I supposed to marry him? The priest wouldn't be able to see him!"_

_ "I know, believe me, I know. But other people... they won't."_

_ "I don't care what other people think, as long as you and Manny stick by me. Besides... there's nothing that can be done now - what's done is done, we can't change the past."_

_ Though I hated to admit it, she was right. But there was one thing I wanted to be sure of..._

_ "El... Is this what you really want? Are you happy?"_

_ She nodded. "Yes. I _do_ want this, and I _am_ happy."_

_ I gave her a small smile. "Then I'm happy for you. Have you got any idea what you'll call the child?"_

_ She shook her head. "I wanted to discuss that with Manny, once I'd told him."_

_ I raised my eyebrows. "You mean you _haven't_ told him yet?"_

_ "I didn't know what to say... I figured you could help me."_

_ "Hardly," I laughed. "I've never been pregnant."_

_ "I should hope not," she chuckled._

_ "In all seriousness... I think you should just tell him."_

_ "Are you sure?"_

_ "Well, what else can you do?"_

_ "True..."_

_ We sat there in silence, and I took in what she had just told me. My best friend, the woman who was like a sister to me, was pregnant. Not to mention that she wasn't married to the father - which, while it didn't bother me, I feared that other people would shun her, treat her badly. That wasn't something she deserved._

_ "Sam..." She sounded worried._

_ "El? What's wrong?"_

_ "If anything should happen to me... Promise me you'll look after the child."_

_ "I promise." I was confused - what had brought this on? "But, El, _nothing_ is going to _'happen to you'_, as you put it."_

_ "I know. I just... I have a bad feeling."_

_ "Everything will be all right," I reassured. "I'll always do everything I can to look after you and the child."_

_ "Thank you," she smiled_

* * *

I drifted back into consciousness and opened my eyes. Judging by the darkness of the room, it was still well and truly nighttime.

I sat up, got out the bed, walked over to the washbasin. I splashed water onto my face, waking myself up. I then looked into the mirror and regarded the man who looked back at me.

He looked so much like my father - he reminded me of my father, moments before his death. My father - Edmund Hainin - had been determined to look after his family, just as I was now.

But unlike Edmund, my reflection looked tired. Tired from working hard to get money to feed the children, tired of the people of this village who seemed to try to stop me at ever turn, and tired of losing everyone I cared about. The only people I had left were the children that I loved as though they were my own, and they were slowly starving.

Why had I dreamt about that day - the day I promised Elainor that I'd look after her children? Was it because I was beginning to realize that I might not be able to keep that promise?

I choked on a sob. Elainor had trusted that I would keep that promise, and now it seemed that I could only betray that trust. Of course, she hasn't known her fate - that she would die in childbirth, leaving her twin children in my care. I quit my job so that I could look after the children, and I found a way to make money on my own. But it wasn't enough - people no longer wanted to buy my goods, and so the children and I rarely had enough to eat.

"Sam," a voice greeted from behind me. "What is wrong?"

I froze. That voice... I hadn't heard that voice in over eight years...

I didn't turn. "Any chance that you could appear outside the front door and knock, instead of popping up in my bedroom?"

"I apologize, but I did not want to be seen entering your house - anyone could be watching, and it could put you in danger," the man replied. "Now, what is wrong?"

I turned to face the man. He looked to be in his early twenties - though I knew for a fact that he was really over one-hundred years old - he had white hair, silver-colored eyes and pale skin. He wore long white robes and carried a white staff that was topped with an orb of swirling energy. The man had no name - he was known simply by the title, _'The Man in the Moon'_.

"First, let me ask _you_ a question." I didn't wait for his response. "Where have you been for the past eight years? I know I've been looking after the children, and I know I love them as I would my own, but don't you think they ought to know their _real_ father?"

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I... I guess I was afraid. I was afraid that I would do something wrong or... _something_. An opportunity to distract myself arose, and I took it."

I raised my eyebrows. "An eight-year-long opportunity?"

"I'll explain once you tell me exactly what's wrong."

"No one wants to buy anything from me," I sighed. "They are no longer as well off as they once were, and they don't _need_ any of what I sell, so they don't want to buy any of it. I can't make enough money to feed the children. I've tried everything!"

"Everything?"

"Yes! I've even tried subtly giving them some of _my_ food."

The Man in the Moon frowned. "Sam, you know I'd never ask you to-"

"Oh, don't worry about it," I interrupted, bitterly. "They noticed and put the food on _my_ plate. Those two sure are mature for their age."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Not unless you happen to have a load of money hidden up your sleeve."

The Man shook his head. "I have quite a few valuable items you could sell, though."

"Thanks for the offer, but no one would _buy_ them - as I said, people can't afford to spend money on things they don't actually _need_." I slumped onto my bed and buried my face in my hands. "If only I had been able to become a farm worker or something, but just my luck was that when I came here the only person who would take me on was the tailor. Now the only skills I have are what I work out myself and making clothes."

"It's got you this far," the Man pointed out. "I must say, the idea of making costumes for children was quite a clever idea. And the idea of having children dress up on All Hallow's Eve and their parents go round others houses for sweets - no one else could have thought of that."

"Yeah, well my family has always been full of bright ideas," I muttered, "ones that always get us killed in the end. I might as well face it - I'm no different."

"_Samuel Hainin_," the Man spoke, sternly. "You are _not_ going to give up."

"I'm not giving up - I'm facing facts. If things keep going like this, then I... I can't look after them." My voice broke as I said it, as I realized the full extent of the problem. "Oh, God, what do I _do_? I can't feed them - but I don't want to send them away. Hell, they don't _want_ to be sent away - today's conversation about Mrs Donneley clarified _that_."

"Who?"

"Mrs Donneley - she's adamant that I can't look after Nocturne and Daniel. Heaven knows, she's right. The thing is, she wants to take them away and look after them herself - she thinks they need a _'mother'_. But I don't think I could ever do that to them - for a start, she scares them, and for a second, I don't think I could ever give them up.

"Oh, what am I going to do?" I blinked back the tears. "I can't watch them starve, but I can't feed them, and I can't give them away. There's nowhere I can turn."

"There must be something that can be done," the Man stated.

I shook my head. "I have nothing of value that I could sell, and even if I did, no one could afford to _buy_ it."

The Man gazed at me, his expression one of uncertainty. He didn't know what to do, any more than I did.

There was a knock on the door. I hurriedly wiped my face clean of the tears, and then dried it. I checked that no sign of what had just happened was present.

"Come in," I called.

The door opened, and a Nocturne entered.

"Nocturne," I said. "Is everything all right?"

She nodded, smiling. "Daniel has a surprise for you," she informed me.

"A surprise, hmm?" I smiled.

Nocturne nodded, barely containing her excitement. "Yes!"

I laughed. "All right then. Is it going to come to me, or do I have to go to it?"

Nocturne all-but skipped into the corridor outside. "Follow me!"

I did as I was told, following Nocturne down the corridor to the room in which she and her brother slept.

When I looked in the door, I found Daniel sitting on the bed wearing a wide, toothy grin that revealed a gap.

He held out a small, white object to me. "Look! I've lost a tooth - that means we can get money!"

I took the tooth and examined it. It took me a second to realize what Daniel was referring to. Then I remembered - the _Forum Magus_, a travelling market of unusual trades, was in town. Which meant that so was Toothiana...

"Do you think Toothiana will buy the tooth?" Daniel asked. "Will she put it with my other ones?"

I smiled, genuinely. "Yes, I think she will."

"So we can get food? We won't starve?"

I nodded. "Yes, we'll get food, and we won't starve." _For a time anyway._

"That's excellent news," the Man said from where he was standing - behind me, in the doorway.

It was then that the children noticed his presence. They averted their eyes, as though they were in the presence of loyalty, and fell respectably silent for a moment.

"Father?" Nocturne greeted. "Um... Hi?"

"Nocturne," he greeted, "Daniel."

I broke the awkward atmosphere. "Nocturne, Daniel - as I'm sure you've already guessed - this is your father. The Man in the Moon."

Daniel blinked in confusion. "But he's not _in_ the moon."

Nocturne pursed her lips together and tried to hide her giggles, clearly thinking that it would be disrespectful.

The Man chuckled. "I _can_ come down to Earth, from time to time, but I spend most my time up in the moon, watching over everyone. Particularly you two."

"You watch over us?" Nocturne seemed surprised.

"Of course - you're my children."

"What about Sam?" Daniel asked. "Do you watch over him too?"

"Of course."

That took me by surprise - both the question and the answer. It once again went to show the children's maturity - that they were concerned about me. I also didn't expect the Man in the Moon to really pay much attention to me. We had been friends once, but when he left and never returned, I had thought that maybe he didn't care. It seemed that I had been wrong.

"Well, I think you two probably ought to get some sleep," I told them. "I'm sure your father will be hanging around for a while, so you can talk to him in the morning."

I gave the Man a pointed look, daring him to say otherwise. He did no such thing, instead agreeing with me and following me back to my room.

I closed the door. "You _are_ planning on keeping your word, aren't you?"

"Of course - I'm nothing if not a man of my word."

"So - where have you been for the past eight years? And why have you come back now?"

"Well... As I said earlier, I was afraid that I'd get everything wrong. When a distraction appeared, I took the opportunity. You see, Sam... Another man, like me, formed. His name is Pitch Black, and he's immortal - or at least, he is in the sense that he doesn't age. But he's different to me - I believe that he was formed from the fear of the people of the world. He needs this fear to give him strength, to sustain him and stop himself from fading away."

"So, you mean he feeds off people's fear in order to stay alive, whereas you just... exist."

"Exactly. The thing is, the people's fear on its own is not enough. He has to cause fear himself. I tried to help him - after all, it's not his fault what he needs to do to survive - but I also saw that scaring people, truly scaring them, was wrong. I suggested that small scares - like sneaking up on people and yelling _'boo'_ \- might be the solution. But it wasn't enough."

"So what's happened to him?" I asked.

"He's fading - fast. The only way that he can survive is by making people feel true fear - which is wrong, and he knows it. He ran off, to be alone I guess. It's understandable, especially as I thought I could help him, and I made him believe the same - only for us to discover that I was wrong."

"So, that explains why you weren't here," I mused. "But why did you come back?"

"My failure to save him made me realize that, by staying away from them, I had also failed my children - which was what I was afraid of in the first place. I realized that I had to _try_ to be there for them."

"Well, you'll have plenty of opportunity tomorrow. I have to work in the shop most the day, so you can spend time with them then."

The Man smiled. "That sounds good to me. In the meantime, though, I think you need some sleep. Particularly if you're going to the _Forum Magus_ tomorrow evening."

I agreed, and allowed myself to drift to sleep. If things went to plan, then everything would be all right, for a while. I would take everything one step at a time, taking everything as it comes. That way, no matter what life threw at us, I'd be able to look after Daniel and Nocturne. How hard could it be?

Of course, it would be the very next day that everything started to go wrong...

* * *

**And, those of you who have read FoF, I know what you're thinking... :D Yes, I am going to be using just as many cliffhangers! I bet you love me so much!**

**So, what do you think? What are your theories, what are your likes, what are your dislikes... Tell me everything! Review!**

**Next chapter (ish) is when everything starts to go wrong... and when things get interesting...**

**Till next time!**

**_MS._**


	3. The End of the Golden Age

**Disclaimer: I do not own ROTG, it rightfully belongs to DreamWorks. I only own the plot, the locations/ideas I have created, and the OCs, details of whom can be found on my profile.**

**Links to all the songs/pieces/videos I have mentioned and information on all the OCs are on my profile.**

**So, I'm sorry it took so long, but here is the next chapter of _The End Is Where We Begin_.**

**So, this chapter is the end of Part One, though don't worry - this is the shortest part. I would apologize for the cliffhanger, but as many of you may already know, I rather enjoy writing cliffhangers...**

**Anyway, thank you to _fantasyinfinity_ for reviewing: I'm glad you like it, and I hope that you'll continue to enjoy it as the story progresses. I know the chapters are currently even less frequent than Friend or Foe, but _please_ stick with the story. It should get more interesting from this chapter onwards...**

* * *

Chapter 3 - The End of the Golden Age

Sam's POV

10,000 BCE

The next morning, after Nocturne, Daniel and I had eaten breakfast, I searched to find any other teeth that hadn't already been taken to Toothiana. She and the _Forum Magus_ hadn't been in town for over a year, so naturally a few of the children's teeth had come out in that time.

I found them and put them safely in a pouch, ready to take with us when we left that afternoon. I then turned to the Man in the Moon, who had been watching.

"I'll be working in the shop all day," I informed him. "If you could look after the children while I'm down there, that would be really helpful."

"You say that, yet normally you are okay with leaving them up here on their own," the Man pointed out, eyebrow raised. "I'm sure they don't need _'looking after'_, as you put it."

"Maybe not, but I think they _would_ like to get to know their father."

"All right." For the first time since I met him, he looked nervous.

"You'll be fine," I reassured.

"Really?" He didn't seem convinced.

"Really." I confirmed.

I made my way downstairs to the shop, which I then opened for business.

* * *

The day passed normally - a few customers visited, buying a small amount of clothing. Mrs Donneley came and tried to persuade me to give up Nocturne and Daniel - to which I refused.

At five o'clock, I emptied the till into a money pouch, went to Mr Garton's to buy food, and returned.

After locking up the shop, I went upstairs to find the Man in the Moon telling Nocturne and Daniel stories of some of the things he'd seen. He finished one just as I entered.

"Sam," Nocturne smiled, seeing me enter the room.

"Hey," I smiled back. "Good day?"

The two children nodded enthusiastically, and started telling me about some of the things they had been doing.

After a few minutes, they trailed off, running out of things to say.

"It certainly _sounds_ like you had a good day," I told them. I paused. "You're probably not going to be very pleased, though, with what I'm about to tell you to do..."

"Why?" Daniel frowned.

"We're going to be out at the _Magum_ market until very late - you should get some rest before we do."

"You're sending us to bed _now_?" Nocturne realized, horrified.

I laughed at her expression. "It's just while I cook dinner."

After a few protests, they gave in and retreated, reluctantly, to their room.

I started preparing the vegetables.

"It's strange," the Man murmured. "The children... I am their father, and they accept that, but they still see you as the fatherly figure. They don't see me in that light."

"I'm sure that's not true," I told him. "They're just a bit shy-"

"Sam, I can read their minds," the Man interrupted. "I know what they're thinking."

"You can do _what_?" I looked up sharply.

He shrugged. "We can access each other's minds. Haven't you ever wondered how they always seem to know what the other is thinking? I'm not sure how it works, but it does."

"Right..." I paused, before remembering what we were _actually_ talking about. "I shouldn't worry too much about them not seeing you as a fatherly figure - that will change over time. I've always tried to help them understand that, though I care for them as though I were their father, I am not their father."

"It seems that your opinion of family has rubbed off on them."

"My opinion of family?"

"You know what I mean."

I sighed. "_'Family isn't blood - it's the people who love and care for us.'_ But I swear, I have never _said_ those words to them."

"Maybe not those words exactly - but they know that you love them as though they were your own children. You've told them as much a countless number of times."

"Seriously, stop worrying." I finished preparing the vegetables, and went on to prepare the little meat we had left. "You've kept your distance for eight years - you can't expect then to suddenly start seeing you as a fatherly figure straight away. It's going to take time, but it'll be worth it."

"I hope you're right."

I too hoped I was right - for the Man's sake. But I couldn't help but wonder - if they started seeing him as a father figure, how would they see me? I would always see them as being my children, but would they always see me as their father?

I mentally shook myself, and reminded myself of the truth. They were never mine to keep - they were always the Man's children. It wasn't my place or plan to replace their father, and so it was only right that they would grow to love their father the way they did me... Assuming he stuck around long enough...

"Will you be coming with us to the market tonight?" I asked, beginning to actually cook the meal.

"I think-"

Suddenly, he stopped mid sentence, and stumbled. I rushed and caught him before he fell, putting him in one of the chairs.

His silver eyes were glassy, as though he wasn't really seeing his surroundings.

I was about to get extremely worried, but then as suddenly as it had happened, he blinked and was back to normal.

"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned.

"Fine," he murmured, thoughtfully. "I'm fine."

"What _was_ that?"

"It... Happens from time to time. I black out, and I see a glimpse of the future."

"Wait, you see _what_?!"

"The dinner is burning," the Man pointed out.

I cursed and attended to it. "So you can see the future? How did you figure _that_ one out?"

He shrugged. "When my visions came true, I realized that they must be visions of the future."

"Right..." I took a moment to let the knowledge sink in. "So... What did you see this time?"

"Nothing good..." He looked troubled. "Or at least, I don't see any way in which it could be good."

"But what did you actually _see_?"

"A crowd. A crowd of people, all of them running to get away from something. Some of them were screaming... All of them were terrified."

"Did you recognize anyone there? Did the place seem familiar?"

He shook his head. "I've no clue who they were, where they were, or why they were running. I just know that it's going to happen, and soon."

"How soon?"

"I don't know."

_He's lying_, I realized. _He knows something._

I said nothing of it, however. I merely turned my attention back to the dinner, which was now almost cooked.

The Man got up suddenly. "I have to go."

I looked up at him, sharply. "What about the children? I thought-"

"I'll be back tomorrow," he elaborated, "but I need to return to the moon tonight to... keep an eye on things."

I sighed reluctantly. "Alright, as long as you _do_ come back tomorrow."

With a flash of what could only be described as moonlight, he was gone.

I finished cooking the dinner, served it onto the three plates, and then quietly entered the bedroom that the two siblings shared.

Nocturne and Daniel were fast asleep, and they looked so peaceful that I was tempted to leave and not wake them. But they needed to eat, and then afterwards we needed to go to the _Magum_ market.

I went to Daniel first. I gently shook his shoulder.

"Daniel, wake up. Dinner's ready."

He came to, and as he did so, Nocturne sat up and blinked, blearily.

"What's for dinner?" she asked.

"Same as last night, I'm afraid," I sighed.

We went through to the kitchen, sat down, and ate.

"Sam..." Daniel asked, nervously. "Did father leave?"

I nodded. "Yes, he had to return to the moon for the night. But he'll be back tomorrow."

"Does he... Does he want to take your place?" Nocturne looked equally nervous.

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You've always looked after us, been a dad to us," Daniel started to explain.

"But he comes along and seems to want us to see _him_ as a dad," Nocturne finished. "But we can't... I mean, he's practically a stranger to us, we only met him today."

I wasn't sure what to say to that. "Well... Over time, I'm sure you'll become closer, and it'll work out."

"But what about you?" Daniel asked.

"As much as I care for you... _he_ is your _real_ father, therefore I have no right to stop him from being that."

"He's our father by _blood_," Nocturne corrected. "But you said yourself - _'Family isn't blood - it's the people who love and care for us.'_"

"And he _does_ love and care for you." I then realized what she had said. "Wait a second, how-"

"Not in the way you do," Daniel argued. "You're the one who's looked after us, who's been there for us."

"He's looked out for you too. He's watched over you, up in the moon." I was running out of things to say to defend him - the fact was, I felt the same way as the children did. I felt that, if he had wanted them to see him as a father, he should have stuck by them, instead of being absent for eight years.

"It's not the same," Nocturne murmured. "I'd much rather have a father who is _here_, than one who watches me from afar."

I didn't know what to say to that, and so we are the rest of our dinner in silence.

* * *

Once we had finished and washed up, we prepared to leave. We put on our coats, and I pocketed the teeth and some money.

We left the building, and made our way to the outskirts of town, where the market would be.

As we got closer, a constant murmur of many, distant voices could be heard. The murmur grew louder and louder, until we reached the entrance.

An archway had been erected. Across the top were the words _'Forum Magus'_.

We entered, joining the excited, bustling mass of people. The place was a labyrinth of market stalls, each one run by one of the _Forumaturs_ \- the people who travelled and traded with the _Forum Magus_. The stalls themselves were full of many strange and wonderful sights - at one, a magician displayed his magic, selling magical items to any who would buy them; at another, a tall, muscled man gave beautifully painted eggs to the children who passed him; and at another, a small man gave bottles of remedies for nightmares.

Nocturne, Daniel and I made our way to a stall, at which a young woman was stood, dressed in brightly colored garments, wearing large, golden hooped earrings and many matching golden bangles that clinked and jangled as she waved and gesticulated excitedly with her hands.

I gave Nocturne and Daniel their teeth. "Go on - I'm sure Toothiana would much rather _you_ gave them to her."

They ran off, excitedly, to the woman. I watched from a distance as she greeted them with a wide smile, searching the many individual, golden boxes in which the teeth were kept for the ones allocated to them.

Finally, she found them. Like all the boxes, they were golden, with beautiful, colorful designs on the lid. But what made these boxes unique to the children, besides the contents, were the pictures on the end, depicting the children they belonged to.

Toothiana opened the boxes, carefully placed the teeth inside, then closed them and placed them back where they came from. She then reached into a pouch of money, took out some coins, and gave them to the children - one, silver _argentum_ per tooth.

The children thanked her, then returned to me, grinning.

"Is this enough to keep us going for a while?" Daniel asked, handing me the money to look after.

"Will it be enough to buy us food?" Nocturne asked, doing the same.

I nodded, taking and pocketing the coins. "Yes - we won't have to worry about money or food for a good while." I gave them a reassuring smile.

The two grinned happily.

"Can we look round the market?" Nocturne asked.

I laughed. "Of course! You didn't seriously think I'd bring you here, then take you home as soon as you gave Toothiana the teeth, did you?"

They laughed and ran off into the market. I followed, making sure I kept them in my sight at all times as they looked around at the many wonders in excitement.

Finally, we reached the centre of the market, in which the stalls had been arranged in a square, creating an area much like a town square. A _Forumatur_ who was manning two stalls caught my eye.

"North!" I called.

The large man looked up and smiled. "Sam!" he boomed. "It's good to see you!"

His name wasn't really _'North'_ \- that was his surname. His full name was Nicholas North, but he preferred, for some unknown reason, to be called North.

I made my way over to his stalls. One, sold magnificent toys, the other sold weapons.

"It's good to see you too, but... Where's Kristoff?" I gestured to the weapons stall.

Kristoff North and Nicholas North were brothers - the two of them were inseparable. They worked together to make the toys and the weapons for the stalls, though it was clear that North preferred the toys and Kristoff preferred the weapons. As a result, North would run the toy stall, and Kristoff would run the weapons stall.

North shrugged, gesturing across the square. "He's gone to talk to customers."

I looked to where North had indicated, and instantly saw Kristoff. Like his brother, he was large, strong and had black hair with a long, black beard. Though Kristoff was two years older than North, the two looked like twins.

North spotted the two children. "Ah, Nocturne, Daniel! Have you two been behaving yourselves since I last saw you? Have you been good?"

They nodded enthusiastically.

"They've been _too_ good, if you ask me," I joked.

North laughed. "There's no such thing!" He looked like he was about to say something more, but instead he frowned. "What on earth... What is _that_?"

I followed his line of vision to see, in the centre of the square, a dark creature. It had the shape of a horse, and it seemed to be made out of shadow... Yet it seemed almost solid. It gazed around, with glowing amber eyes, at the crowd, which was now backing away from it.

A wisp of misty shadow formed next to it, before twisting and growing in size, until another shadow-horse had formed beside it. Another formed, and another, the crowd backed away further, becoming more and more afraid.

Daniel, through afraid himself, took his sister's hand in an attempt to reassure her. I reached out and took his other hand. Both of them looked terrified, and I pulled them closer to me, protectively.

In the midst of the chaos, a taller shadow twisted, and a man materialized in the centre of the square, amongst the shadow-horses. He was tall, with grey skin, amber eyes and black hair that somehow stood up on end. He wore a simple black robe that looked like it was made of shadow. He observed the terrified crowd, and laughed.

"Mortals," he spat. "Do you see me _now_?"

Silence fell. No one spoke.

"Clearly," he answered himself, softly. His voice sounded soft, lulling, but as deadly as a snake. "Do you know who I am?"

The silence remained for a moment, and then...

"No, we do not. We only know that you are not welcome here."

The crowd turned to see Kristoff North, standing tall and unafraid.

The shadow-man laughed. "Are you talking to ME, mortal? Who do you think you are?"

Kristoff strode up to the man, through the crowd, through the throng of shadow-horses. He stopped right in front of the man, drawing himself up to his full height. "Yes. Yes, I am talking to you. I am Kristoff North, _Forumatur_ of the _Forum Magus_ \- or _Magum_ market as it is sometimes known - and I am afraid I must ask you to leave."

"Or what?" the man challenged, also drawing himself up to full height. "I am immortal. I am the embodiment of fear, the _king_ of fear. I am _Pitch Black_. How can you hope to stand against me and my army of..." He trailed off, observing his army of shadow-horses, as though considering what to call them. "Against me and my army of... _Fearlings_," he decided.

_Pitch Black._ Wasn't that the name of the man the Man in the Moon had been trying to help?

"Embodiment of fear, huh?" Kristoff was not intimidated. "It's unlucky for you, then, that I am not afraid of anything."

"Everyone's afraid of something," Pitch corrected.

"Maybe. But I assure you, I don't scare _easily_."

"Well," Pitch smiled, mockingly, like a predator observing it's prey. "We can't have _that_..."

He moved so quickly, no one could quite process what they were seeing. One moment, he was stood casually before Kristoff; the next moment, he was holding a knife, which was buried up to the hilt in Kristoff's chest.

The people of the crowd had many different reactions. Many screamed; some, like myself, could only stand in wide-eyed shock as Pitch jerked the blade out, and Kristoff's lifeless form crumpled to the ground.

North's reaction, however, was the most noticeable.

_"Kristoff!"_ he cried in anguished grief. He leapt across the stall, and reached for a pair of large, curved swords.

This broke me out of my shock, and I reached out and grabbed the man's arm. "North, what are you doing?!"

He turned to me. "He killed him. That monster _killed my brother_! I'm going to-"

"Kill him?" I interrupted. "North, you can't, you've no idea what that man is capable of, you'll get yourself killed."

"Do I look like I care? My brother is _dead_!"

"I know, and I know how you feel. But once gave me some good advice, a long time ago - _'Revenge is all very well, and it might make us feel better, but in the end it won't bring them back. There's no point in dying for it.'_ North, Kristoff wouldn't want you to die for revenge."

North's expression softened. "You're right," he sighed. "I'm sorry."

I was about to tell him that it was all right, and that he should probably try to guide the crowd out of the market, but Pitch spoke again.

"Anyone else want to stand against me?"

I wanted to. He was clearly an evil man who had to be stopped, and I was much like my parents, in the way that I couldn't stand by and let injustice happen. But if I stood up to Pitch now, then I would most likely be killed, just like Kristoff, and I couldn't let that happen - I couldn't abandon Nocturne and Daniel.

"So much for your _Golden Age_. So much for _'good'_ conquering _'evil'_. Well, I'll tell you now -

"_The Golden Age_ is over; _The Dark Ages_ have begun!"

* * *

_END OF PART ONE._

* * *

**So! How's _that_ for a cliffhanger? I should probably apologize for the fact that I'm _already_ killing off characters, but to be honest, given how I imagine Pitch to be and the fact that everyone is currently mortal (besides Pitch and MiM), I figured it _had_ to happen. Sorry about that.**

**Anyway, let's play a game of spot-the-Guardian! All four of the original Guardians are mentioned in the chapter in some way - can you find them? Some are easier than others (as you've probably noticed) - virtual cookies for each one you spot (review and tell me - I can't read your mind)!**

**So, what do you think? Like? Hate? Do you think Pitch is evil enough? Are you worrying for the safety of Sam, Nocturne and Daniel? Tell me what you think!**

**Until next time.**

**_MS_****.**


	4. Escaping the Forum

**Disclaimer: I do not own ROTG, it rightfully belongs to DreamWorks. I only own the plot, the locations/ideas I have created, and the OCs, details of whom can be found on my profile.**

**Links to all the songs/pieces/videos I have mentioned and information on all the OCs are on my profile.**

**Hey...**

**Yeah, it's been a while... I know writer's block is a poor excuse, but it's the only one I have, and it's the truth... But it's now the summer holidays, so I'm hoping I can force myself to get over it. No promises though - I still have a lot of work to do, what with panicking over my AS results, UCAS, deciding what Uni to go to, AS/A2 transition homework, figuring out which subject I should drop, driving lessons and studying for my theory test... oh yeah and tidying the tip I call my bedroom. But hey - that's life. And you're probably not all that interested in all that, so swiftly moving on...**

**I've been thinking - I was looking at the description of the story, and I realised that it focuses on Nocturne, which was great when I first had the idea for this story, which was all about Nocturne, but not so great now as it's about much more than that now. However, I realised that the second half _will_ focus on Nocturne... so, in short, I was thinking of cutting this story in half - finishing this with Pitch's defeat - and renaming this first half. What do you think? UPDATE: I HAVE NOW CHANGED THE TITLE, COVER AND DESCRIPTION.**

**Thank you to _UchiQueen_, _Kentario_, _TheShapeshifter100_ and _DancingShadow82_ for following the story; and to _TheJokerman95_, _AlwaysReading42_, _UchiQueen_, _Kentario_, _TheShapeshifter100_ and _Afire Love_ for favouriting it. Also, thank you to the following people for reviewing:**

**_fantasyinfinity:_**** I think you'll be relived to hear that this one doesn't end in a cliffhanger ;). As for the Guardians, you're mostly correct - it was just North you got wrong. You'll find out about Sam and the kids in this chapter (as I think you've probably already guessed), and thank you!**

**_Froster:_**** Sorry, no plot twist there - they are all mortal. You're correct about who the Guardians are, but in relation to Sandy, as I believe I've mentioned before, I've never read the books - this story is simply my idea of how things could have begun, inspired only by the RotG movie. Once I've finished these stories, I may read the books, but in the meantime I'm sticking to what's in my head. As for Kristoff... he doesn't come back, and he and North don't combine, I'm afraid. I'm just horribly evil and like killing off characters :D ! Kidding, I don't like killing them off - but I need practice at doing it, as currently I am unable to permanently kill off a major character...**

**_TheShapeshifter100:_**** I'm afraid I don't know who 'Ombric' is - which I guess kind of answers your question...**

* * *

_PART TWO - THE DARK AGES_

* * *

Chapter 4 - Escaping the Forum

Sam's POV

10,000 BCE

At Pitch's words, the _Fearlings_ leapt forward and attacked the crowd. People screamed, some were trampled by the dark horses, others were engulfed by great clouds of the dark, misty substance the _Fearlings_ were made of.

The crowd surged, everyone moving as one away from the creatures and towards the exits. North, Nocturne, Daniel and I joined them, running to get out of danger.

All around us, people were panicking. I could hear children crying, women screaming, peopling calling out for help. The crowd was packed so tightly together I felt as though I was being crushed.

I gripped Daniel's hand tightly, continuously checking that he still had his sister's hand. He was holding her close to him, protectively, taking his role of older brother very seriously - even though, as Nocturne often reminded him, he was only actually older than her by five minutes.

The pair of them were terrified - and who could blame them? The situation had changed so quickly - one minute they were enjoying the wonders of the _Forum Magus_, the next, they were witnessing a brutal murder.

North was no longer with us - I could see him searching the stalls for his fellow _Forumaturs_, his friends. I called out to him, thinking I should help.

He knew what I was thinking. "Go - you have to look after your children! I'll be fine!"

I did as he instructed, and steered my children towards the exit. It was still quite a way away, and the stalls and tents around us were like a labyrinth.

Suddenly, not far from us, a woman at the edge of the crowd screamed. "Help me! Oh, God, someone please help me!" Her scream was cut horribly short.

"It's the horses!" another woman cried.

More screams from the edges of the crowd, and the crowd surged forward again, trying to get away. This time people were jostling and pushing in all directions. I could feel my children being pulled in the opposite direction to me, and tried desperately to keep a hold on Daniel's hand. But his hand was torn from mine.

He called for me, in fear, as the tide of people pulled us apart. "Sam!"

"Daniel! Nocturne!"

I called to them, trying to push through the people to get to them, but it was no use. I could only watch as my children were swept away from me, swept towards the edge of the crowd - towards where people were being killed.

"Daniel! Nocturne!"

I tried desperately to get free of the crowd, but there seemed to be no way out except the way they were carrying me. But right now, that was the one way I didn't want to go.

I heard more screams of people who were dying. I was terrified that I might know one of the voices - that one of the screams would be the voice of one of my children.

A man, noticing my efforts to get away from the crowd grabbed me.

"You're going the wrong way," he said. "Follow the crowd - the way out is that way."

"But my children - we were separated. I have to find them!"

"Look, you'll have no hope of finding them right now. Once we're out of the _Forum_, then people will calm down and it'll be easier for you to find them. Just go with the crowd for now, or you'll get hurt and you'll be of no use to your children."

I nodded, reluctantly, turning and allowing the crowd to guide me to the exit. Once people were out, they ran to their homes. I stayed, and looked for my children, calling their names.

"Daniel! Nocturne! Where are you?"

But there was no sign of them. They were nowhere to be seen, even when everyone had gone. Which could only mean one thing.

Dead or alive, they were still in the _Forum_.

Dread and despair washed over me - how could they have survived? Those creatures had been ruthless, killing everyone they came accross. If Nocturne and Daniel were in there, the _Fearlings_ must have found them...

But then again, the pair of them, despite their young age, were very mature and resourceful. They looked after each other, and would do anything to prevent the other being hurt. Not to mention that they were small - they could probably slip through things unnoticed. If anyone could survive, they could.

I couldn't give up - I couldn't let myself believe that they were dead. They _couldn't_ be dead, could they? Surely I'd know... Either way, I had to go in there and find out for myself.

I made my way towards the entrance.

"Sam, what do you think you're doing?!"

I turned in surprise towards the voice. The Man in the Moon was striding after me, looking extremely worried.

"What does it look like?" I replied.

"It _looks_ like you've gone completely and utterly _mad_. What do you think you're doing? If you go in there you'll be killed!"

"I _have_ to go in, Nocturne and Daniel are in there!"

"What do you mean they're-"

"You knew," I realised. "The vision of the future... You knew this was going to happen, you _saw_ the crowd running from Pitch."

"I saw _a_ crowd running from _something_. I didn't know where or why it was."

"Then why are you here?" I pointed out. "If you didn't know, then why did you come here?"

_"All right!"_ the Man snapped. "So I knew it was the _Forum_. So what?"

_"'So what'?!"_ I glared at him in disbelief. "You _knew_ I was going to take the children here! You should have stopped me, so that the children would have been safe!"

"You needed the money, and I thought that _you_ would _keep_ them safe! How was I supposed to know that you'd abandon them and leave them behind at the mercy of those creatures?!"

I opened my mouth to make an angry retort, only to find that I couldn't. I wasn't angry at the Man - I was angry at myself. I knew he was right - I _had_ left them, and if they were dead, it would be _my_ fault. God... What kind of a father was I?

I turned to enter the _Forum_.

"Sam." The Man's tone had softened.

I ignored him, but he followed and put a hand on my arm. I turned to face him.

"Sam, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I... I'm not angry at you, I'm angry at myself, I just... I... Oh _what_ do you mortals call it...?"

"Took it out on me?" I suggested.

He nodded. "Exactly. I didn't mean what I said."

"Whether you meant it or not, it doesn't matter - it's still true."

"No it's not, Sam... I _saw_ what happened. That was my vision - I saw you get separated. There was nothing you could have done, but I... I assumed you'd somehow find them, I assumed they'd be okay. _That's_ why I'm angry - because I put too much responsibility on your shoulders, and as a result of my mistake, they could well be dead."

I shook my head. "No. They can't be dead - I refuse to accept that possibility."

"Sam-"

_"No!"_ My outburst took him by surprise. "Don't you tell me that they are most probably dead - you don't know them the way I do. If any two kids could survive this, it would be them."

He nodded. "You're right. But what do we do?"

"We go in there after them," I replied. "We find them, we protect them, and we bring them safely home."

The Man nodded. "All right."

Together we crept into the forum. Crouching behind stalls, we made our way slowly through.

The sights we saw made me feel sick. There were mangled and trampled bodies everywhere, covered in a gooey, black, mist-like substance. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't - a part of me still feared that I would find my children among them.

We turned onto another row of stalls, still crouched out of sight, when we heard an all-too familiar voice.

"Excellent," Pitch Black was saying with a cackle. "That _will_ speed up our plans. In the mean time... Is there anyone living left in the _Forum_?"

We peered cautiously over a table to see that he was conversing with one of his _Fearlings_. After a pause, he continued.

"A couple of people? Find them. Then bring them to me - I want to try a little experiment."

Suddenly, all the _Fearlings_ leapt into action, prowling in all directions. They seemed to almost be sniffing, as though they were trying to smell prey. We ducked back down, out of sight.

If we didn't move, they'd find us. But I couldn't see any way out, and looking at the Man, I realised he couldn't either.

"What do we do?" I breathed.

He swallowed. "I don't know," he confessed.

"But if we don't move-"

"They'll find us, I know _that_. But I can't see any way out, unless..." He thought for a moment. "Unless someone distracts them."

"What are you thinking?" I asked, because he _was_ thinking something - he was planning something.

He turned to me. "Find the children. Take them home - I'll meet you there."

"But what-" I started.

The Man leapt out from behind the stall. "Pitch," he called.

The _Fearlings_ stopped in their tracks, all caught by surprise. They hadn't expected the Man in the Moon to be here - and I realised that was his plan. He was distracting them, so that I could get away.

Pitch Black turned to face him. "Well, well, look who we have here. What treachery do you have planned this time, old friend? What trickery?"

"Pitch, stop this," the Man pleaded. "You know this is wrong - it's not too late to turn back."

"Wrong?" Pitch's eyes narrowed. "Who are you to judge what is right and what is wrong - you manipulated me, and would have had me fade away, you would have had me die. You tried to convince me it was the only way."

Pitch, terrifying people, _killing_ them, it _is_ wrong, you-"

"You're still doing it, even now!" Pitch interrupted. "Trying to talk me into lying down and dying. I _trusted_ you, called you a _friend_. Yet you betray me. You _want_ me to die."

The Man shook his head. "No, Pitch, I never-"

_"Don't lie!"_ Pitch's voice rose to a shout, a cry of anger.

"I'm not, Pitch, my _friend_, I would _never_-"

Whatever he was going to say was cut abruptly short when Pitch, with a yell, unleashed a wave of the substance the _Fearlings_ were made up of. The wave crashed into the Man, sending him flying into the stall I was still hiding behind.

I made to help him, but he seemed to sense I was there.

"Sam, go, find the children," he hissed at me as he stood. "I'm fine!"

"What was that?" Pitch demanded. "What did you say?"

"I was merely muttering curses," the Man lied.

I edged away, darting behind the various stalls. The Man still seemed to be trying to persuade Pitch to stop the killing, but even I could see the man was beyond that. Somehow, I knew their conversation would soon become a full-on fight, and I did _not_ want to be here when that happened. I knew of some of the things the Man was capable of - and I had witnessed what Pitch was capable of. Being here when the fight broke out between them would end badly for me. And I needed to find the children.

After a while, I gave up hiding - it had got to the point where I had not encountered any _Fearlings_ for a while, and I had realised that the children were also probably hiding - meaning that, if I hid as well, it was likely we'd miss each other.

I walked swiftly through the _Forum_, slowing and being more cautious at corners, but still there was no sign of them.

I was considering calling their names, when I heard the cry of a _Fearling_ from nearby.

I turned to see one charging at me, so fast I didn't have time to get out of the way-

But then it charged straight past me.

I frowned, turning to watch after the creature. Why hadn't it killed me, like it undoubtedly had everyone _else_ it came across?

Something wasn't right here, and so I made my decision. I jogged after it.

I lost it quickly, but by that point I had already guessed where it was headed. The square - the centre of the _Forum Magus_.

I turned several more corners, until I finally emerged into the square, next to the weapons stall that had been Kristoff North's.

I looked around, and instantly spotted the _Fearling_ I had been following.

My blood ran cold. It had its back to me, and had cornered a young boy with dark hair, who was attempting to hold up a heavy scythe from a nearby farming stall to defend himself.

_Daniel._

Without pausing to think, I reached and grabbed a sword from the weapons stall. I ran at the _Fearling_, giving an angered yell. It turned in time to see me slash the sword through its middle, cutting it clean in half.

_"Not my son."_ I growled, watching as the creature lost its shape, collapsing in on itself into a pile of black goo. That was a relief - I had half expected the creature to just knit itself back together again.

I turned to Daniel, dropping the sword with a clatter, fell to my knees so that I was level with him, placed my hands on his shoulders and checked him over. He looked unharmed.

"Are you all right?" I asked him.

He nodded. "I'm okay."

I pulled him into a tight, relieved hug.

"But I lost Nocturne, she could be in danger..."

I let go, to look him in the eye. "It's okay - we'll find her. Everything will be all right. I promise."

He nodded. "I lost her in the crowd - same way we lost you. I heard her thoughts though... she came here to get a weapon to defend herself, but by the time I got here, she had gone."

"That's when the _Fearling_ found you," I guessed.

"Yeah..." He looked troubled. "I can still hear her thoughts, but they're too jumbled - I don't know what's happening, where she is, if she's okay-" He was speaking faster and faster, getting more and more panicked.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. We _will_ find her, everything will be-"

I cut off at the sound of a terrified scream. My heart felt as though it had stopped.

_"Nocturne!"_ Daniel and I cried in unison.

Fear for my child raged through me as I grabbed up the sword and ran in the direction of the scream, pulling Daniel - who had picked up the scythe - along with me.

We quickly found her, trembling and sobbing hysterically, but otherwise unharmed.

"Nocturne!" Daniel ran to her. "What's wrong?"

She turned at the sound of his voice. _"Danny?!"_ At the sight of him, she practically flew at him, wrapping him in a tight hug. "You're okay!" She was still trembling, violently, but her sobs were beginning to subside.

He seemed a little surprised at her extreme behaviour, but he hugged her back. "Course I'm okay - I had to find and look after my little sister," he teased.

"You're only older than me by five minutes," Nocturne sniffed, automatically. She hugged him even tighter. "Oh God... I thought... I mean it looked so much like... I thought it was... I thought you were-"

Daniel hugged her more tightly back. "It's okay. I'm here, it wasn't me."

His sudden apparent understanding of the situation was due to the telepathic link the Man had mentioned, I guessed. However, I was still very much in the dark about what had distressed Nocturne. I approached them and was about to make an attempt at comforting her myself, when I saw what must have been the cause.

There was a body, mangled beyond recognition, of a young boy with dark hair, pale skin and dark clothing. I instantly understood - if I hadn't known better, I would have thought what Nocturne most certainly had. I would have mistaken it for Daniel.

I crouched down next to the pair of them. "Nocturne?"

They parted, and I checked her over, the same way I had checked Daniel only a few moments before, before pulling her into a tight hug.

"Thank God you're both all right..." I breathed. "I'm so sorry... I'm sorry I let you get separated from me... It won't happen again... I promise..."

Nocturne pulled away. "It wasn't your fault, Sam. There was nothing you could have done."

Daniel suddenly gripped my arm. I turned to look at him, to see that he looked terrified, his gaze fixed on something behind me.

"Sam..." he murmured, fearfully.

I followed his gaze, to see a mass of _Fearlings_ preparing to attack. They must have been attracted by Nocturne's scream, I realised.

I stood, turning to face them, drawing my sword. This broke Daniel from his paralysis, and he raised the scythe as high as he could. Nocturne picked up a knife that must have come from Kristoff North's weapons stall.

I stepped forward. "Stay behind me," I told the children.

I held the sword ready, realising, with relief, that I had managed to pick up one that was balanced.

The _Fearlings_ charged, but I stood my ground. It had been a long time since I had handled a sword, but I still remembered how to fight. Soon I was in a swift, never-ending dance of slashes and blows, not allowing even one to get past me and to my children.

After what seemed like an eternity, there were none left. But I knew that more might come, and so we had to get out, quickly.

I turned to Daniel and Nocturne, who were stood close to each other, wide-eyed with shock.

"Come on," I said, gently but with urgency. "We need get out of here."

They followed, meekly, as I swiftly lead the way out of the Forum. I avoided the place where I had last seen Pitch and the Man, and we saw no more _Fearlings_.

We made it through the gates. The streets were deserted, but, despite my disdain for the village, they felt safe.

I stopped, falling to my knees and wrapping my two children in a relieved hug. We had made it - we were safe.

We remained like that for a while. Eventually I gently pulled myself away from them, giving them a small smile.

"Come on," I told them. "Let's go home."

* * *

**So, no cliffy today...**

**Unless you include the fact that you don't know what happened to the Man...**

**Mwa ha ha!**

**So, review! Tell me what you think, what you think will happen next, what you think happens to the Man ect ect...**

**Till next time!**

**_MS_**


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